Tuesday, March 10, 2009

On a Crusade with Rice and Beans

Variations on the theme of rice and beans has been a popular dining option in the Crispy Casa of late, given the economic crunch. We recently chowed down some Cristianos y Moros, (Christians and Moors) a colorful historic name for black beans and rice.

I tried this recipe, omitting the bacon, and it was very tasty. I topped our peacefully coexisting faction of legumes and grains with some fried cubes of Queso Blanco, which I had never used before. It is a Latin American cheese that is grated atop many dishes and really doesn't get to the gooey, melty stage so much as getting pleasantly rubbery. I just cut up my Queso Blanco into small cubes which then got sizzled around a frying pan with a couple of pats of butter and it made for a nice garnish for our Cuban rice and beans supper.

Queso Blanco is slightly salty and according to Wikipedia, is made from liquids pressed from cottage cheese. I am sending my cheesy discovery over to Chez Loulou over in the South of France for her delightful and informative La Fete du Fromage event, which celebrates cheeses from around the world. Loulou will be posting a roundup of this festival of dairy delights after the March 15th deadline, so you can enjoy this delicious cheese sampler then or visit for some gorgeous photography and wonderful French tastings before then.

5 comments:

i love the idea of eating rice and beans together, and when I combine food in this way, I don't like to add meat in it either - the beans provide the protein the meat would have provided

in my humble opinion, the economic crunch is a way to start appreciating proper food without frills - maybe I'm being a little severe, but really, you don't need to eat expensive food to be well nourished

Oooh, the cheese takes this to a new level. Next to carbs, I love ooey, gooey, cheese. If only Larry would see this as a main dish and not a side dish. I suppose I could add a hamburger on the side for him. I'm bookmarking this one.

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This blog is an original work of creative expression by Rachel Jagareski. All photos, text, and original recipes herein are copyrighted by the author/artist Rachel Jagareski (c) 2007-2014. All rights are reserved by the author. Please contact me for permission to republish or broadcast any material beyond your own personal use. Thank you.